I couldn't be happier to be talking about the mountain bike racing scene t. I love this sport: its people, origins, and the display of fitness, tactics and guts this sport requires. Then there's the technical part, which is equally important and keeps great wrenches busy. And the ever-changing weather and terrain. Well, you get the idea why this sport is so darn compelling. I'll do my best to keep you all up to date from start to finish.
I will focus my reportage this season on the UCI Mountain Bike World Cups with news, notes and close-ups on the people who make up this great sport. All aboard, let's get cranking. Season opener The World Cup season gets under way on April 24-25 with a cross-country event in the Dalby Forest in the UK, the first event held in England since 1999.
There will be 11 races on the calendar this year. The UCI World Championships will be held Aug. 31-Sept. 5 at Mont-Sainte-Anne, Quebec, a long-time favorite venue of MTB'ers, where the team of Patrice, Chantal and GESTEV really put on an amazing event, going above and beyond every time.
The first UCI downhill will take place May 15-16 at Maribor, Slovenia.
Back in the USA
Fans of the sport, which made its world championships debut back in 1991 in Durango, Colo., (I was one of the PA guys there) are thrilled to note that another World Cup is returning to the United States. Mark August 28-29th on your calendars for the World Cup Finals at Windham Mountain in New York. We haven't had a World Cup race for some years now, and it's great to have one back. Big props go to the folks at Windham!
Another good sign that the sport is growing is the number of teams registered for this season by the UCI.
According to a recent report, a record 107 teams have been inked for the 2010 campaign. In the United States alone, 12 teams have registered. They are EX Drinks, Giant-Factory Team, GT Bicycles. KONA, Luna Pro Team, Monster Energy-Specialized-Mad Catz, Santa Cruz Syndicate, Specialized Factory Racing, Subaru-Gary Fisher, Team Maxxis-Rocky Mountain, Whole Athlete Cycling team and the Yeti-Fox Shox Factory race team.
Milatz back on track
Our friends at Merida -- a German-based team -- have said that Moritz Milatz has resumed racing recently following a crash early in March, which broke his nose. The nasty crash forced him to have surgery, yet he made an amazing recovery and was racing again last week in Switzerland. He plans on attending the first World Cup in the UK.
Speaking of the Dalby opener, they are planning a massive amount of fun and entertainment at this first event. Prepare to be bedazzled by Morris Dancers and brass bands. Sounds like fun, in the area where Steve Peat -- the 2009 DH world champion -- calls home. Twenty-four nations are expected to be represented on the trails of the Forestry Commission estate at Darby forest.
The U.S. Pro Gravity Tour is set to start in Port Angeles, Washington, April 24-25 and word has it that many of the sport's top talent will be on hand. Among them are the likes of Greg Minnaar (Santa-Cruz Syndicate), Giants' Aussie star Jared Rando and Duncan Riffle, along with Tracy Moseley (Trek World Racing) and Jill Kintner (Transition Racing). That's just one week after the great Sea Otter event in California.
Schladming scrapped
UCI officials in Switzerland have revealed that the World Cup stop in the ski resort town of Schladming has been canceled due to pressing work that must be done on the ski hill to prepare for the 2013 FIS Alpine World Championships. The sixth round of the UCI World Cup will now be run at Leogang, in the Salzbuerger Land region, from June 19-20. Schladming has been on the calendar since 2004 and is a very popular venue on the tour.
Checking in this week with my man Craig "Stikman" Glaspell on Intense Cycles, the Temecula-based company, which does not have a pure "factory team" this season but still has a monster group of riders. For the 2010 season, they will serve up a CRC/Intense Team run by all-around great guy Nigel Page.
The squad will feature amazing talent like Claire Buchar, Julien Cammelini, Matt Simmonds and junior DH champ Ruardih Cunningham. Gals on the team are wicked talented with the likes of Anneke Beerten and world champion Emmeline Ragot. Long-time great Leigh Donovan is planning on riding at the World Cup finals and the MSA Worlds, and will be joined by the UK's Helen Gaskell and Canadian downhiller Katrina Strand. Most will be riding the new M9 prototype downhill bike this season.
U.S. stars shine at Pan-Am
The Pan-American Games in Guatemala City wrapped up last week with U.S. riders winning both the men's and women's competitions.
Todd Wells (USA) road strong to take the XC win over Rubens Valeriano (BRA), while Canada's Max Plaxton rode to the bronze-medal spot. Wells smoked the course in 1:52:32. The next American was Sam Schultz in sixth place in 1:55.09. American star Adam Craig did not race as he continues to rebound from surgery on his knee.
The women's event saw a sweet one-two-three performance by the strong American women. Willow Koerber took gold, Mary McConneloug was second and Heather Irmiger was third. Great news for our big mountain bike family in hearing of the marriage of Elladee and Tara. Much love and happiness forever. You rock! That's it for now. Here's looking forward to a great season.